BetUS sportsbook NCAA Basketball Sports Betting Odds:  PROVIDENCE -1.5

Here are some of the NCAA basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* SYR has won eight of its last 11 games SU

* SYR has lost three of its last four games SU

* SYR has played four of its last six games OVER the total

* SYR has won five of its last seven road games SU

* PROV has won six of its last eight games SU

* PROV has played four of its last five games OVER the ttoal

* PROV has won 11 of its last 12 home games SU

Also....

* SYR has won and covered seven of the last eight meetings

* SYR has won and covered eight of the last nine meetings as the road team

* SYR has had the shooting edge in five of the last six meetings

* PROV has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings

Syracuse has disappointed in its last two contests, losing by 18 points to Pittsburgh at the Petersen Center, then dropping a ten-point decision at home to Louisville. In the game against Rick Pitino's aggressive, trapping defense, the Orange was held to its season low in both points and shooting percentage (35%) and also gave up 21 offensive rebounds. Is this a problem that is going to linger, or can it be cured by matching up against the right opponent?

Maybe it just amounts to a couple of key players breaking out of a slump, like Jonny Flynn, the point guard who is reliable as a floor leader (nearly 2-to-1 assist-turnover ratio) but has shot just 23% over his last couple of games.

Against Providence, Syracuse may have to go without Andy Rautins, the guard who is the team's best three-point shooter (38% from beyond the arc) and provides some of the "glue": that keeps this team together. Rautins injured his ankle against Louisville in Sunday's contest against Louisville and may wind up being a game-time decision.

Still, Syracuse has four other starters aside from Rautins who are averaging in double figures, which means enough balance that they don't have to rely on one guy getting hot. That's a positive Jim Boeheim's team takes into a game against a Providence team that has not been overly stingy on the defensive end, yielding 44% shooting.

There are two tiers in the Big East - those clubs who are almost a lock to go into the NCAA tournament and those who are on the outside looking in - and the Friars are a team that can best be characterized as one that is closest to straddling the fence, but not able to vault into the first division. Providence, which returned nine significant players from last year's team and could be an upset possibility for somebody, that is, IF they got to the post-season. They have yet to post a breakout win against anybody, and have lost its two biggest tests in the Big East, to Marquette and Georgetown.

We'll count on the fact that there is still a bit of a divide, and take the underdog Orange, plus 1.5 points in the BetUS NCAA college basketball sports betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY:  SYRACUSE +1.5 ***

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

(Charles Jay makes his share of shots from downtown as a contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)